ADHD medication titration
Side effects during ADHD medication titration: what to record
Side effects do not always mean a medicine is wrong for you, but they are worth recording clearly.
Try noting
- What happened
- What time it happened
- How strong it felt
- How long it lasted
- Whether it affected eating, sleep, work, driving, relationships or daily life
- Whether it happened once or kept repeating
Useful examples
These notes give your prescriber something concrete to work with.
Avoid trying to diagnose the cause yourself. Many things can affect how you feel during titration, including sleep, food, stress, caffeine, hormones, illness, workload and routine changes.
If a side effect worries you, feels severe, or affects your safety, seek medical advice.
“Headache around lunchtime, mild, settled after food and water.”
“Could not fall asleep until 2am after taking medication later than usual.”
“Appetite much lower until evening. Ate breakfast but skipped lunch.”
“Felt more irritable around 5pm. Not sure if medication, stress or tiredness.”
Safety note
This guide is for general information only. It does not replace advice from your prescriber, GP, pharmacist or specialist ADHD service. Do not change your medication, dose or timing without speaking to your prescriber.
If you feel seriously unwell, seek urgent medical advice. In the UK, use NHS 111 for urgent advice or call 999 in an emergency.
Sources and review
- NHS ADHD information
- NICE guideline NG87
- NHS medicine information
- Patient Information Leaflet / Summary of Product Characteristics
- Last reviewed: 26 May 2026
Want to make your next review easier?
Titrio Focus helps you track daily medication notes, side effects, sleep, appetite, health checks and questions for your prescriber without trying to give medical advice.